


It will take a lifetime

by Bittodeath



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Disabled Character, Domestic Fluff, Erejeanmarco week, Fluff and Angst, M/M, New York City, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-08 04:24:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5483240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bittodeath/pseuds/Bittodeath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Modern AU were Marco, Jean and Eren are together for a long, long time...</p><p>Eren, Jean and Marco are seventeen, in NYC. They have been together for a year, and plan to go to prom ball all together. However, things don't go as planned...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prom ?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this is for EreJeanMarco Week on Tumblr, so it will go according to the prompts. This first chapter is way longer than the following.  
> 1 - Dance  
> 2 - Fairytale  
> 3 - Sweet  
> 4 - Ribbon  
> 5 - Home  
> 6 - Snow  
> 7 - Crossover  
> Also, the rating may change depending on ONE chapter, but otherwise it will all be tooth-rotting fluff.

Prom was approaching and Eren was getting all excited about it.

“We’ll go together, the three of us!” he kept saying, jumping around like a young deer, and Marco laughed and replied “Of course”, while Jean, all grumpy, shut him up with a kiss.

They were seventeen and had been together for a year, committed to their strong and strange relationship. They were in New York, they were young, beautiful, and prom ball was getting near: they were happy. Time passed and, finally, prom ball was there. They had planned on meeting there: Marco and Eren would be driven by Marco’s mother, while Jean would come in his brand new car. He was to drive the three of them back to his home.

“What is he doing?” asked Eren once more, fidgeting as they waited outside the building.  
“Calm down”, said Marco with a smile, grabbing his hands at the same time. “You look nice in your tuxedo, don’t mess it up.”

He gently pushed back one lock of brown hair swinging on Eren’s forehead, resting his hand on his cheek. Slowly, he leaned forward to kiss him, and almost jumped when his phone rang. The screen displayed Jean’s photo, flashing a wide grin. He slid the green icon and answered:

“Jean?”  
“Marco, I’m sorry, I’ll be late, uh… A last minute problem, but I’m getting in the car. Go on and enter with Eren, I’ll join you ASAP.”  
“Okay, I’ll tell Eren. Be careful, okay?”  
“Sure. Love you sweetheart.”  
“Love you”, Marco answered in the void; Jean had already ended the call.

He turned to Eren, explained the situation and they made their way into the building and then cut into the crowd moving in time with the music blasting through the speakers. They started to dance, slowly, waiting for Jean.

\--

Jean swore as he started the car: late on prom evening, he was really unlucky – or clumsy, he didn’t really know. He inserted in the traffic and swiftly drove through the town, before turning into a short-cut. He knew the street was empty, as it was almost always, and stepped on the gas.

Any other day, he would have make it almost in time. Any other day, he would have drove through the deserted street without any problem. When he saw the oil puddle, it was already too late. He braked, turned the wheel. Thought he was going to die. The car crashed on a light pole, Jean’s door first. All became black.

\--

“He should be here”, said Eren with a worried look at the door.  
“Yeah, I’m worried too… I’ll go check on him, you stay here?”  
“No, I come with you.”

They went out and Marco called, but Jean didn’t answer. He frowned, but Eren’s phone buzzed at the same time. A cry escaped his lips before he could stop it and he covered his mouth, shaking.

“Marco… It’s Jean’s mom… He’s in hospital…”, he stuttered, “car crash, he’s unconscious and…”

Marco grabbed his hands and held them tightly, before pulling him into his embrace.

“I’ll call mom, she’ll take us there”, Marco whispered, holding back his tears.

It did not take long for them to be in the hospital and they hurried to Jean’s mother. She was pacing in the corridor, clasping her hands convulsively. They walked up to her, as a doctor came out of the room.

“His life is not in danger”, he said, “and he should wake up in a few. However, his head was badly hurt, on the temple. Seems there are no consequences, but… well, we can’t be sure. It is too soon to make a diagnosis. His body is not injured otherwise, aside a few cuts and bruises.”  
“Thank goodness”, Jean’s mother cried out as the boys sighed in relief. “Can we see him?”  
“Yes, he’ll be glad to have his dear ones around”, said the doctor as he opened the door for them.

They sat beside him, holding his hands. A few minutes later, his eyelids fluttered before opening completely. Eren smiled through his tears and tightened his grip on his hand, while Marco did the same. His head was wrapped in bandages, and he was pale, but he seemed… alright, as strange as it sounded. He smiled, opened his mouth to speak, but didn’t make a sound. He frowned, tried again. His voice was hoarse and… well, too loud to address to people sitting beside him.

“I… I can’t hear a thing…” he said.

The doctor entered a room, an IRM in hand, and looked at Jean, then looked at his mother.

“Madam, may I talk with you?”  
“He… He is deaf, isn’t it?” she asked through her tears.

There was a silence, and the doctor nodded.

“The part of his brain dealing with hearing has been damaged by the shock. It is more likely to be definitive.”  
“Dear Lord…” she muttered as she staggered and slumped on a chair.

What else could she have say? There was nothing to add. Marco and Eren exchanged a glance: difficult times were coming. But they would stand together and affront them alongside Jean. It was not even something they would ever wonder about. The doctor looked at Jean and put something in his perfusion. He closed his eyes and drifted into a heavy sleep.

“He may be able to stand up tomorrow. You should go back to your homes, kids”, he said to Eren and Marco.

They stood up, said goodbye to Jean’s mother and kissed their boyfriend’s cheek, promising to be there first hour of the day. None of them managed to sleep that night and they came together to the hospital: Jean was sitting in his bed, depressed. His face lit up when he saw them and his mother said he was going back home in the evening. The two teenagers nodded and looked at him. Finally, Eren held out a hand to him and pulled him out of the bed. He wanted to reassure him, to comfort him with words, but there was nothing he could say. No word could reach him.

He grabbed his hips and put Jean’s hands on his nape, dancing slowly to an imaginary music they were the only ones to hear. He looked over Jean’s shoulder and saw Marco, who extended his arms to receive Jean. They danced – or rather, they moved slowly across the room – together until Eren joined them, hugging Jean and gently pressing him between their two bodies, sharing their tender warmth with him. He started to tremble and they both put their heads on his shoulders, stroking his skin gently and waited while he started to sob loudly, tears running down his cheeks. When he started to calm down, Marco lifted his head up and kissed him deeply, before dragging him in a gradually faster waltz, crossing the room like it was nothing and suddenly giving him to Eren, before getting him back, and they danced with smiles until Jean finally let out a laugh and they sighed in relief.

It was not an end, but a new start.


	2. Rapunzel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair !"

_3 months later._

Jean had learned the sign language, and he communicated quite easily with his mother, but he felt depressed at the idea that he would soon have to break up with Eren and Marco. After all, they could not go on with this relationship if he didn’t hear them, if they didn’t understand each other, it was no use. He knew he had to break up, still… he couldn’t. He had even agreed with Marco to let him stay the night with him. He knew it would make the separation all the more painful, but he couldn’t help it. He felt lonely as he watched Marco’s sweet sleeping face, as he felt his breath against his skin and his arms around his waist: his ears were shut to the world.

Slowly, he drifted into sleep. Marco opened an eye when he heard the little pebbles rattle against the window and flashed the light of a torch at the window. The noise ceased and he started to shake Jean to wake him up. The young man groaned and finally opened his amber eyes, still hazy and sleepy. Marco pointed out to the window and Jean shook his head, before closing his eyes again. Marco resumed shaking him, until he finally got up and went to the window. He was startled when he spotted a shadow in the garden, and Marco handed him the flashlight.

Eren was standing there, a hat with a feather on his head, a smile spread on his face. Jean frowned and looked back to stare at Marco, who was smiling as well. He focused on Eren and saw his hands move. His eyes widened when he realized the young man was signing naturally, and tears started to wet his eyes.

“ _Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your long hair_!”

He couldn’t help but laugh as he dried his tears and signed back:

“ _Wait a second my prince_.”

He turned to his room and almost ran into Marco, who was holding a rope. He took it and, helped by his freckled boyfriend, held it as Eren climbed along the wall. The young green-eyed man stopped on the window-sill and grabbed his collar to kiss him passionately – way too passionate for a prince coming to rescue his princess. They collapsed in the bedroom and Marco burst out laughing, a hand on his mouth as he tried to muffle the sound. They parted and Jean sat straight, staring at them with a smile.

“ _We learnt sign language to be able to speak with you. Because we know you. You were thinking about breaking up with us, right?_ ”

Jean started to shake his head, but Marco’s gaze dissuaded him to lie, and he nodded.

“ _I thought… I thought it would be better. For all the three of us._ ”  
“ _I love you, Jean_ ”, Eren whispered, “ _and Marco loves you too. Just be the princess of our fairy tale_.”


	3. The Baker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life goes on and on...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 3, Sweet. I immediately thought of a baker and... well, baker Jean ? Anyway, I hope you'll like it !

_6 months later_.

Eren was working hard, studying medicine in college, and Marco was as well, though he studied law. And Jean? Well, Jean was working hard too, but in a different way. He woke up before sunrise to be in time at work. After his accident, he felt it would be too difficult to pursue his studies in college, and decided to reach for his dream. He was now studying bakery, and was an apprentice at Hanne’s Sweets. Hannes, the proprietary, was a kind man and quite a good teacher, though he loved alcohol a bit too much. And he knew sign language, which was unneglectable. The thing was, Jean was happy cooking; people were happy eating _viennoiseries_ and such, and Jean was happy to make people happy. It was all benefits.

Eren walked into the bakery, wrapped in his long, black coat, collar put up, nose buried in the green scarf his sister had offered to him and hands in his pockets, his bag hanging at his side. He had matured a lot in his appearance, though he was still astoundingly beautiful. He waved at Jean, in the kitchen, a childish smile spreading on his face. Marco followed him, tucked in a large leather jacket lined with wool, his hair styled in some kind of rebellious way, his mittens worn out as he tugged on his jean’s pockets. He only had his laptop with him, but that was all he needed to study. They both sat at a table in a corner of the shop, taking out their coats and accessories against the tingling cold. Jean joined them a bit later, bringing hot treats with him, French _viennoiseries_ they were all fond of. He handed Eren chocolatines, and pains aux raisins to Marco, taking croissants for himself as he sat beside them.

“ _You look great as a baker, Jean_ ”, Marco signed.  
“ _And your cookin’ ‘s so good_ ”, Eren added as he chewed happily.

He thanked them gracefully, chatting vividly with his boyfriends as they ate their breakfast before going to their classes. They kissed him goodbye when they left, like they did every day, and he smiled: things had gotten better, in a way he wouldn’t have imagined. He could endure anything with Eren’s tender gaze and Marco’s sweet smile. Yes, he could defeat the world.


	4. The House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco wakes up with a ribbon tied to a key.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 4, "Ribbon". I hesitated a long time for this one.

_2 months later_

Marco opened his eyes, moaning as the morning light hit his eyes. He rolled in his bed, and finally sat up: he was in the dorm, like he had been for a while now. He scratched his head and finally noticed the bright red ribbon on his nightstand. He grabbed it and a key came over with, which he stared for a moment. There was also a tag, and when he turned it, there was something scribbled over. He smiled as he recognized the shitty handwriting: it was Eren’s, without a doubt. It was an address. He got up and got prepared, driving to the address. His curiosity would have prevented him to work anyway, so he had better check.

He finally arrived to the address: it was an old two-storey house, with a little front yard and a scoliosed mailbox. It looked rather cute, though it needed to be clean and painted anew. A matching red ribbon was tied to the doorknob, so he entered the yard, climbed up the stairs and put the key into the keyhole. The door opened creaking and he went through the hall, illuminated by the sunlight, and walk to what seemed to be the living-room. There was a small fireplace, a rugged red carpet and three matching armchairs. The decoration needed to be refreshed but the place was warm and welcoming.

“ _It took you forever_ ”, Jean signed.  
“ _What is this place?_ ” he asked.  
“Actually, I just inherited this house, from a distant relative”, Eren replied out loud. “I thought that perhaps, we could move in all the three of us and save the money from internship.”  
“Well, we’ll have to work in there, but… I like the idea”, replied Marco, “ _Jean, what do you think about Eren’s idea?_ ”  
“ _Sounds great, I can’t wait to move in and sleep with you two every night!_ ” he replied with a smile.

On the doorknob, the red ribbon announced the renewal of life in the old house.


	5. Coming home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren is coming home...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 5, Home.

_3 years later_

Time has passed, Eren, Jean and Marco are now in their twenties, living happily in their home – home sweet home. But Eren isn’t there.

It’s been a month, a whole month, that the young man went to San Francisco to study alongside a well-known and respectable, though eccentric doctor, Hanji Zoe. Jean and Marco stayed in New York together, messaging him every day, and missing him every single second. It’s been too long now for them to feel nothing when one of them is away. They are now sitting side by side in the living-room, reading: it is September, and the summer has come to an end, though the sun is still shining through the windows.

Eren comes out of the taxi, takes his suitcase out and pays. The taxi quickly disappears when it turns at the street corner, and he is left standing alone in the streets, his coat on his arm and his suitcase beside him, staring at the house. It has blue curtains, and white shutters. There are flowers in the courtyard, and an alley to the porch. The walls are a bit dirty, but he feels his heart fluttering: he is home. He is home, and they don’t know it. It is a surprise, Hanji actually dismissed him a bit earlier because she had a familial emergency somewhere in Texas – he hasn’t even understood where. And she will be working a bit in New York in a few months, resulting in him coming home earlier.

He takes out his keys and climbs the stairs – obviously swiped recently – to stop before the massive wooden door. His heart is thumping hard in his chest, but he turns the key in the keyhole and enters the home. Seems like no one heard him. He lets his suitcase and overcoat in the entry and steps into the living-room: Jean and Marco are here, lost in some other world. But Marco hears him and lifts his head, and he automatically taps Jean’s knee. He looks up from his book and they both stare at him with gaping mouths, and he bursts out laughing. Suddenly, he is in their arms, kissed and hugged, and he feels loved and happy.

He pushes them away to look at them, diving into Jean’s amber eyes and sinking into Marco’s chocolates ones. Then he hugs them tightly and whispers an “I missed you” that even Jean understands. Jean smiles and tugs on their sleeves, staring at Marco as if he is stating something obvious, and Marco laughs and grabs Eren by his waist, pulling him back against his chest, kissing his neck and nuzzling his brown hair. And Jean steps closer and kisses him, softly at first, but then deeply, thirsty for his boyfriend.

Eren doesn’t really understand how they got on the bed, but there they are, Jean laying on his back, already half naked as Eren kisses him – his cheeks his mouth his collarbones his chest, everything within his reach – and Marco is hugging Eren, pulling on his shirt and taking off his blue and golden tie. It’s something natural to be together, just the three of them, to hold each other close and to lose their mind in the kissing and cuddling – though it also drifts to something more maddening, more intimate.

Making love has never been something “usual” for them. It always new, discovering new feelings, new pleasures, sailing on sentiments to reach an orgasm that is even more wonderful when shared. As Eren lays between them, Jean snuggled up against him and Marco… Marco somewhat very peaceful as he dozes off, big spoon to his two lovers, as he lays like this, he thinks about how wonderful it is to be loved. How wonderful it is to be home.


	6. Good old winter day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is snow in the garden...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 6, Snow.

_4 months later, Christmas vacations_.

Jean and Marco were still sleeping, cuddled under the comforters, warm and comfortable, but Eren had got up, shivering in his underwear, to open the shutters in the living-room. The eerie landscape froze him for a moment, but then a wide grin spread across his face as he ran back to the bedroom, jumping on them savagely. They both choked and woke up suddenly, staring at him with no-more sleepy eyes.

“Snow!” he shouted and signed at the same time, “it has snowed! All is purely white! Come on guys, come on, and get up!”

Both of them smiled lazily at the joy they saw in Eren’s green eyes, and got out of the bed. Getting prepared was a matter of minutes, and soon after, they were in the garden, Eren running around as if he were a child. Marco smiled, and cautiously made a snowball, before launching it savagely at Jean. The young man staggered when it hit him right in the chest, crying out loud, but he was quick to bend and make another snowball, that Marco received in his shoulder. They started to laugh, and Eren joined the party, throwing snowball after snowball. Soon, they were covered in snow, laughing and panting, signing to each other with their gloved hands, before dropping in the snow. They made snow angels, side by side, and built a snowman named Olaf, Jean and Marco trying to silence Eren as he started to sing out loud “Do you want to build a snowman?” and ending up collapsing in the thick layer of snow in their yard.

When they started to calm down, they realized they were hungry, freezing and tired. Marco smiled and grabbed his two lovers, pulling them close to him as he brought them back in the house. It was warm after the coldness of the outside, and they sighed in contentment.

“ _Jean, lit up the fire place, Eren, bring back our comforters_ ”, Marco signed quickly.

They nodded and, leaving their boots and coats in the entry, did what he had asked for. Eren was the first to come back, holding out at a safe distance several comforters that he put down in front of the fire place. Marco tugged him closer and swiftly removed his scarf, pull-overs and t-shirt, his trousers, socks and underwear, leaving him stripped naked in the middle of the living-room. Jean hadn’t noticed a thing and was as surprised as Eren when Marco started to remove his clothes as well, before pushing him toward Eren. He quickly went to the kitchen and came back with three enormous mugs of hot cocoa, putting them in front of the fireplace as he stripped naked as well.

They sat on one comforter and wrapped themselves in the others, grabbing their mugs as they cuddled in the warmness of the fire, the comforters and each other. They did not say a single word, lost in their thoughts – or perhaps in the whiteness of the snow outside, staring at the fire burning happily in front of them. It was a good old winter day, after all.


	7. The tender warmness of love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco has gone out, but a snow storm is coming, along with strange vigilantes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 7, Crossover ! I hope you liked this EreJeanMarco Week !  
> For the crossover, I chose to use the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Katekyo Hitman Reborn (the crossover is not that developed so don't worry if you don't know these that much).

_Two days later, December 24th_

Marco tugged his coat closer to his body, it was freezing outside and he was eager to get home as quickly as possible. He had the herbal tea for Eren and Jean, the herbal tea he had gone out for, now he just had to walk as quickly as possible through the thick layer of snow. Plus there was those clouds that screamed a snow tempest was coming, and he had better not be outside during it. He decided to take a shortcut he would have skirted otherwise: the narrow alley wasn’t exactly reputed to be a safe place. 

He realized it hadn’t been a good idea once he had been cornered in a dead end by four threatening guys. _Thugs_ , he thought as he observed them. He wasn’t going to die for a bit of money and herbal tea. He breathed deeply and heard several thuds, before realizing his assailants were all laying on the ground. He looked up and saw five people – if people were the right word – armed and who had obviously rescued him. 

“Are you alright?” one of them asked in a young though serious voice.   
“Y-Yeah, I’m alright”, he answered, shivering, “thank you guys.” 

Snow was starting to fall down, hard and strong, and the wind was howling. 

“We won’t make it back home in time”, he heard one of them say.   
“Would you mind coming with me? I live in a house not far from here, and I’d like to thank you again for saving me. The tempest is going to be really bad.” 

He had perfectly realized they were strange people – not even humans, to be true – but they had saved him and he was not someone ungrateful. Four of them turned to the fifth one, smaller and seemingly older. 

“Father, what do you say?”   
“We can’t stay out in this snow. I guess we have no other choice than to accept this young man’s invitation. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts”, he said.   
“Then follow me”, he said, wondering if he was mad to offer a roof to four giant turtles masters in some kind of martial art and a giant talking rat they called father. 

They weren’t able to utter a word, their voices covered up by the howling of the wind, terribly strong, and snow would have gotten in their mouths. Finally, Marco stopped in front of the house, all lightened up. He could see several silhouettes in the living-room – more than what they should have been. Given the weather, it was no surprise. People were seeking for a shelter in this snow storm and were right to do so. Luckily they would have enough sleeping for all of them. 

He pushed the door open and cried: 

“I’m back, Eren!” 

He invited the turtles and the rat in, and they all took off their coats, gloves and scarves. He gestured to them to follow him to the living-room, where Eren and Jean were sitting beside two teenagers, around fifteen or sixteen years old. 

“Those two are my boyfriends, Eren and Jean. And uh, Jean is deaf so if he doesn’t answer it’s pretty normal”, he felt the need to add. 

People who didn’t know about Jean’s disability had gotten offended by his lack of reaction, and it was humiliating for them and Jean, so he preferred to warn before. 

“My name is Splinter, and those are my sons, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo. We thank you again for your hospitality.”   
“That’s normal, don’t worry. Please sit down.”   
“Marco”, Eren called out, “Tsunayoshi and Gokudera, here, were seeking a shelter, so we offered them to stay until the storm calms down.” He smiled widely and added: “I’m glad we get to be this numerous for Christmas.” 

Jean smiled as well, observing all those people beside them: seeing the smiles on every face, it was obvious they were going to have a joyous Christmas. Outside, the wind was screaming and howling, but they were here, sitting among family and friends, in a warm home, with a lot of food: they could only wish for a merry Christmas.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this first chapter ! You can find me on bittodeath.tumblr.com :D


End file.
